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Photo: GabrielBuissart / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

The Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei) is a member of the Laridae family found in Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 281 g.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Charadriiformes
  3. Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
  4. Genus Chroicocephalus
  5. Species genei

Where it lives

Patchily on coasts and saline lakes of southern Iberian Pen., southern Europe, Black and Caspian seas and Turkey to Central Asia, Pakistan and coastal far northwestern India; Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia

Quick facts

Weight
281 g
Family
Laridae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Slender-billed Gull hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of coastal habitats, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.

Migration

The Slender-billed Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei) is a species of bird in the Laridae family, part of the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans Africa and Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL, AF patchily on coasts and saline lakes of s Iberian Pen., s Europe, Black and Caspian seas and Turkey to Central Asia, Pakistan and coastal far nw India; Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 281 g, with a wing length of about 30.1 cm and a tail of around 11 cm.

Songs & calls

Slender-billed Gull — Nocturnal flight call

Recorded by Bosco Dies / BirdingAlbufera Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Slender-billed Gull?

The Slender-billed Gull is a large bird that weighs around 281 g.

Where does the Slender-billed Gull live?

The Slender-billed Gull is found across Africa and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL, AF patchily on coasts and saline lakes of s Iberian Pen., s Europe, Black and Caspian seas and Turkey to Central Asia, Pakistan and coastal far nw India; Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Slender-billed Gull belong to?

The Slender-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus genei) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Slender-billed Gull eat?

The Slender-billed Gull hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Slender-billed Gull migrate?

The Slender-billed Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

What sound does the Slender-billed Gull make?

1 real field recording of the Slender-billed Gull — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

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